A classification of invertible subsets of affine root systems (Q1295599)

A subset \(P\) of a root system \(R\) is called closed if, whenever \(\alpha, \beta \in P\) and \(\alpha + \beta\) is a root, then \(\alpha+\beta \in P\). The subset \(P\) is called invertible if both \(P\) and \(R \setminus P\) are closed. In an earlier paper, the first author, together with \textit{D. Z. Djokovic} and \textit{J.-Y. Hée} classified invertible subsets of finite root systems [Can. Math. Bull. 37, 338-345 (1994; Zbl 0808.17015)]. In this paper, the authors determine the equivalent classification for affine root systems. An important example of invertible subsets of root systems are the parabolic sets, those for which \(P \cup -P = R\). Parabolic subsets of affine root systems were classified by Futorny. To any invertible subset \(P\), one can associate a parabolic subset \(\bar P\) by including all roots \(\alpha\) such that neither \(\alpha\) nor \(-\alpha\) are in \(P\). The authors use this association, Futorny's classification of parabolic subsets and some case analysis to establish their classification of invertible subsets. Using the classification, the authors then show that, if \(\theta:R \to R'\) is a bijection such that the image and inverse image of a closed set is closed, then \(\theta\) is an isomorphism of root systems provided \(R\) has at most one irreducible component of type \(A_1\). This theorem extends an earlier result for finite root systems in the paper cited above.